Remind Me
by niahbwriting
Summary: Wedding planner Beth Greene gets a new party. But the groom-to-be is the last man she ever thought she'd be planning for. Merle Dixon. What happens when he brings someone back from her past, that she thought she'd left there for good? Will she be able to find the strength to get the job done as old emotions come bubbling back to the surface? BETHYL AU


**Okay, NOW y'all know why I stopped MSTILF...;) I'll write more at the bottom.**

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><p>Beth was rushing through the inner city traffic of Seattle, Washington, her mind still trying to prepare for the work day ahead of her. The incessant sounds of car horns honking, and seagulls screeching were doing nothing to help alleviate her stress level, which was probably high enough to reach the Space Needle by now.<p>

Her stressed was caused by her latest client call for her wedding planning business. It seemed to be a good one-a potential big break for her company.

She didn't want to blow it.

"C'mon, c'mon…" she groaned, fingers aching to add to the melody of horns playing.

She was only 5 minutes away from her destination-Starbucks. The cliche of all cliches, what with being in Seattle.

Washington was quite the polar opposite of Georgia. Growing up in Senoia, a town just a little ways away from Atlanta, she had always been a country girl at heart. But as she got older, she'd grown tired of the laid-back life, and wanted to try the city scene.

She had sent numerous college applications to various states, and when the University of Washington was the first to reply with an acceptance, and full scholarship in tow, she'd taken it as a sign from God.

Leaving her family was the hardest thing she'd done. 18 years old, and moving halfway across the country was terrifying to say the least. Her roommate, Tara Chambler who had eventually become a close friend, helped make her transition a little bit easier, though.

Five years after graduation, at 27 years old and after saving up from whatever jobs she could hold down after college, she was able to open up her first official business, "Bethany's Creations."

The goodhood dream of becoming a wedding planner had finally come true for her.

Her family was beyond proud. Her mother, Annette Greene, had tried to convince her to move back to Georgia and open up her business in Atlanta, but it had been too soon to branch out.

Finally, two years later, at 29 years old, her business was doing well. Not quite flourishing, but, making it enough for comfortable living.

The irony of it all, was that Beth was single.

While a single wedding planner might seem like blasphemy, maybe even _hypocrisy _to some people, she didn't feel like she had the time for a committed relationship with someone, and commitment was everything to the young Greene. It was almost a 'code' her father grew up teaching her and her siblings, Shawn and Maggie.

"_Don't do anything that your heart is not burstin' with pride for. Make sure that when you do somethin' serious, that it lasts forever."_

Her relationship days were left in the past, with Jimmy and Zack, although they could hardly be called relationships at all. Flings, or puppy love were more sufficient terms.

Whatever judgement her exterior brought her, the fact was, little Bethany Greene was far from the innocent schoolgirl most people assumed she was, and that's all she had to say on the matter.

As far as she was concerned now, she was married to her career.

Just like most new businesses, her's started out slow, but thankfully, Tara had taken Beth's offer to become her second in command.

At first glance to most clients, Tara didn't seem like the type of girl who would be interested in such a lavish work force.

Everything about her screamed "tomboy." But no one could deny that she definitely had the eye for the job. To say that Beth was 'grateful' for Tara would be a vast understatement.

She was eternally indebted to her.

After what seemed like an hour later, Beth finally pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, and gathered her planner, and sample book. She glanced at her watch and realized that despite all of the traffic that she endured, she was still 15 minutes early.

_Perfect, _she thought. More time for preparation.

Beth ordered her usual-a cinnamon-dolche lattee. Taking a sip and a sigh for good measure, she began flipping through her sample book.

She had no idea what type of wedding her client would be interested in, or if she had even made a final decision on making her her wedding planner in the first place, but she prayed that that she'd win this one over.

Just when she flipped to a Victorian themed page, she heard the bell above the cafe threshold chime.

A woman with brunette hair, about 5'5" entered the building with a portfolio in hand. Beth got up from her chair to greet her. She assumed it was the client that called-Karen Martinez, since no one else was there yet.

"Karen?" Beth asked with a smile.

"Oh! Bethany? Shoot, am I late?" she asked apologetically before looking at her wrist watch.

Beth smiled and shook her head reassuringly, "No, no, I was early. Please, call me Beth."

Karen shook her outstretched hand and nodded, "Nice to meet you, Beth."

Being in the business, Beth could tell when a client, or potential client, would be hard to work with. Sometimes it was how they dressed, how they acted, or not how, but _if _they smiled at all.

Karen was dressed in slacks with a baby blue dress shirt. _(Professional, but not intimidating). _Her hair spiraled in neat natural curls, and she donned a warm, pleasant smile.

"Let's sit." she sat gesturing towards the glossy, wooden two-seater table.

Before she sat, Beth saw Karen grab an extra chair and place it next to hers.

"Is there someone else we're expecting?" she asked curiously.

Karen looked at the door seemingly waiting for someone while playing with her fingers, "Yeah, my fiance is out there just parking the car. Forgive me for seeming jittery, I'm kind of nervous," she admitted sheepishly.

"That's alright, it's just pre-wedding jitters. Nothing I haven't seen before."

Beth chuckled to herself, like what she had just said was an inside joke. In a way it was. That was a constant in almost all the brides-to-be that she met. The first meetings were usually the most stressful and awkward. The bell chimed once again, and Beth looked up to see who it was.

The smile on her face completely vanished as the man walked inside.

"There he is right now. Hi, sweetie." Karen smiled warmly. "Beth, this is-"

"Merle?"

Beth felt her breath hitch in her throat with a gasp.

Standing before her in the flesh and bone was one of the last men on Earth she ever thought would be getting married. Let alone, she be the one potentially planning his wedding.

Merle Dixon.

He looked at her, his eyes immediately widening like a deer in the headlights. "B?"

Karen shared a look between the two. "Wait a second, do you two know each other?"

Beth stammered, not sure if she should believe her eyes. If this was a dream, she hope she'd wake any minute. But a sinking feeling in her heart this was the cold, harsh, reality.

"I-uh...yeah, we do. We...we were neighbors in Georgia. Awhile back," she stammered.

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw him smirk.

"Ain't that the understatement of the year, darlin'?" he chimed in sarcastically.

She hated herself for it, but even with that signature snark of his that she was once so used to retaliating, all she could do was stare at him like an idiot.

"I'm going to go order...give you two a few minutes to talk...and catch up" Karen quietly said, excusing herself, obviously sensing the awkward tension.

Beth wanted to remain professional, and apologize, but all she could seem to focus on was forming her thoughts to question the man in front of her.

"How did you find me? What the hell are you even doing in Seattle?" Beth asked in a hushed, but accusing tone when Karen was out of earshot.

Merle scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, blondie. The Mrs. over there's the one that found ya. I just came along for the ride. Settled down out here awhile ago with her, too." He rubbed his hand over his stubble, his eyes roaming over her like he was as stunned to see her as she was him. "Turns out, you ain't the only Georgia Peach that was fixin' to move to the PNW."

"So you're tellin' me, that out of _all _of the wedding planners here, she just _happened_ to choose me? She didn't even tell you the name of my company? My name's right there in the title, Merle." she challenged. This had to be some sick joke.

He put his hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright, calm down before you hurt yourself there, kitten. I'm serious. I didn't know nothin' about it bein' your company. Just thought it was coincidence, is all."

Beth wasn't one to believe in coincidences, but she did believe him. She could always tell when he was lying.

"So...is this gon' be a problem?" he asked, stealing a glance at his fiance.

She was going to say yes. But then she saw it when he looked at her. The look that she saw in each of the groom-to-be's eyes when they looked at their fiances'. The look that someone oncegave her long ago.

Someone that the man in front of her knew very well...

But she couldn't think of that-_him_. Not yet.

"No...no, if Karen still wants me, I'll take the job." she answered firmly.

She saw the tension leave his shoulder, and couldn't help the small smile that etched its way onto her face. Moments like that are what made her job worth it.

Merle nodded his head appreciatively and smiled at her. "Thanks, B. Knew I could count on ya. Now, if yer done interrogatin' me, you gonna give Ol' Merle here some sugar, or not?"

Beth chuckled and embraced him in a warm hug. "Dixon, it's been awhile."

"Too long," he amended.

Merle saw a devilish gleam in her eye, "She must be very special. Thought I'd see hell freeze over before I saw the day Merle Dixon got hitched."

Years ago, that statement would have earned her a glare, and a snide comment. But all he did was smirk and nod his head, "Yeah, me too, Angel. Guess plans change sometimes, huh?"

She squeezed his hand. "I'm happy for you. Really."

Hearing his voice after all these years, and his endearments made her realize that she _missed _him.

Merle was like a second brother to her.

"Thanks, darlin'. But are you plannin' on tip-toein' around me all day? Why don't ya ask me what's really on your mind? I see it in yer eyes that you wanna."

Her eyes narrowed, but she knew it was useless to try and argue with him. So she did.

"How's he doin'?"

Merle frowned. "_He?_ Damn, B, after all you two went through, you can't even say his name?"

Could she? Did she have the strength?

She didn't _want_ to. But no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, she felt it rising in her throat, giving her a burn that was neither wanted, nor unpleasant.

"_Daryl." _Her heart beat double-time as the word blew passed her lips. "How's Daryl?"

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><p><strong>So, let me explain. :)<strong>

**I loved what I had going with "Make Sure..." but, after a lot of consideration, I thought it would make more sense if I had someone else get married besides Daryl.**

**And in hindsight, Merle getting with someone (with commitment) doesn't seem _too _far off from canon. I think if Mazzarra had kept him around, he would have eventually found someone.**

**Nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoyed the little twist!~**

**I'll be back with an update as soon as I can. :)**

**-Moonshine.**


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